Onion-topping machine.



E. BURDICK.

' ONION TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1UNE12, 1915. RENEWED MN. 241 1911.

1,217,269. Patented-B61127, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. BURDICK.

ONION TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, I915. RENEWED JAN- 24I I917- 1,217,269,Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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omou TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION H LED1UNE12,19I5- R ENEWED JAN. 24. 1917.

1,217,269. Patented Feb. 27,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- EPHRAIM BURDICK, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ONION -TOP PING MACHINE.

Application filed June 12, 1915, Serial No. 33,710.

.To al bwkom it may concern: 7.

such a machine.

' I attain the objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated inthe agcompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is-a side elevation; Fig. 2is a" top plan with the chutes removed; Fig. 3 isan end View; Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional view; and Fig. 5 is a detail of modi fied orimproved means for driving the cutting mechanism.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I provide a frame 1, mounted onend supports 2. Carried by the end supports 2 are rollers 3 and 3', onwhich a freely revoluble spiral drum is mounted. The drum is constructedof heavy spirally wound wire, as shown, and provided with a plurality oflongitudinal ribs 5, spaced like distances apart and secured to theinterior of the drum in any suitable manner. In the machine illustrated,three ribs 5 are used. They carry the onions along toward the cuttingmechanism as the drum revolves. 'At one side of the frame a beam 7extends longitudinally of the machine. On it is mounted a fixed cutterblade 6', and on blade 6' is mounted a reciprocating cutter blade 6,having means connected therewith for driving it from the roller 12 orbevel gear 12*. As seen in Fig. 2, it consists of a rod 8, operativelyconnecting blade 6 to bell crank 9, which in turn is operativelyconnected by pitman 10 to wrist pin 11 on pulley 12.- An improved ormodified means for driving the cutting mechanism is illustrated in Fig.5, comprising a pitman 8 connecting blade 6 with a rotating disk 9*,which in turn is connected by gear rod 10* and small gear 11 with alarge Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed January 24, 1917. Serial No. 144,309.

endsupport 2, similarly to roller ,12, and replacing roller 12, as willbe clearly understood by reference to Figs. 5 and 2.

Pulley 12 is operatively connected by belt 13 to pulley 14, mounted. onshaft 15, which extends the full length of the machine. It is within thecontemplation of my invention Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

-to substitute sprockets and chains/in lieu of belts and pulleyswherever desirable.

Shaft 15 is provided with end pulleys 19 and 20, driven by belts 17 frompulleys 18 on the ends of roller 3, which in turn is operated by meansof-crank 16. Itis within the contemplation of my invention to substitutepower instead of hand driving means, the machine in such case being"driven by a 'gasolene engine operatively connected with the machine ina suitable manner.

Adjoining pulley 19 is a cam'roller 21 in the face of which is a camgroove. 22. Adjoining the pulley 20 is a pulley 23 carrying a belt 24mounted on a pulley 25 on the end of a topping finger roller 26, whichis carried by a. shaft 27. .Shaft 27 extends for some distance beyondthe end of the frame at each end of the machine, to allow for a,

slidin movement of the shaft. Between beam and cross member 37 of theend support 2 is a brace 29, to which is pivoted at 28, a lever 30, oneend of which carries a 'pin 31 which rides in thecam slot 22 of the camroller 21. The opposite end of the lever 30 is provided with a hookedend 38, which engages a recessed portion 32 of the finger roller 26. Aspring 33 is mounted on the opposite end support 2 and extends upwardlyand engages the shaft 27 v of the roller 26 to assist in returningroller 26 to its forward position. Roller 26 is provided with spacedfingers, of which there may be one or more sets, in alinement, asillustrated, adapted to push the tops of the onions wound wire whichforms drum 4. The

topping fingers are preferably made of flexthe fingers will not conflictwith the ribs of the drum.

The operation of the machine will be apparent from the foregoingdescription in connection with the drawings. Its power is also revolvingtopping finger roller 26,

which is driven by belt 24. The reciprocating cutter blade which withthe stationary 1 blade tops the onions, is driven by suitable means froma pulley 12, as illustrated in Fig. 3, or from a sprocket gear '12, asillustrated in Fig. 5. In the former instance a rod bell crank andpitman operatively connect with roller 12. In the latter case, a pitman,disk, gear rod, and bevel gears, the

' latter-preferably driven by a sprocket, re-

place the first mentioned mechanism. The essential function of the twomechanisms is alike in its ultimate object. Member 12 (or 12 as the casemay be) is in turn driven from shaft 15 by means of pulley 14 and belt13. It is of course within the contemplation of my invention tosubstitute chains and sprockets in lieu of belts and rollers.

Revolution of cam roller 21 causes pin 31 to ride in slot 22 andoscillate lever 30 and in turn causes finger roller 26 to movelongitudinally of the machine, returning to its position nearest thehead end of the machine at the completion of each revolution, under thepressure and assisted by spring 33 at the 3 end of shaft 27, asillustrated in Fig.1. The

spirals of drum 4 allow the fingers 34 of the finger roller 26 to passin between them, as shown in Fig. 4, to push the heads of the onionsdown through the drum, the onions being carried forward into position toengage with knives Sland 6 by contact with ribs 5, which extendlongitudinally of drum 4, and are spaced apart at suitable intervals toavoid fingers 34.

What I claim is:

1. An onion topping machine comprising a supporting frame; oppositerollers; a crank for turning one of the rollers; a drum formed ofspirally wound wire and having one or more longitudinally-disposedinterior ribs the drum being freely revoluble on the rollers andoperated by gravity from the drivenroller; a cam. and cam shaftoperatively connected with and driven by the -driven roller; a revolvingtopping finger having sets of spaced fingersadapted to project betweenthe spirals of the drum to press the onion tops into pendent position;'a

pivoted cam-guided member operatively connected with the finger rollerto move same longitudinally synchronously with the travel of the drumspirals; a spring to return the roller to its position at the head endof the machine; a fixed cutting blade positioned to v engage the pendentonion. tops; a superposed reciprocally moving cutter blade; and meansfor reciprocating the cutter blade, the aforesaid means beingoperatively connected with driving means actuated from the cam shaft,substantially as set forth.

2. In an onion topping machine, a drum formed of spirally wound wire andhaving one or more longitudinal ribs secured to its interior portion, adriven roller supporting onions as the drum is revolved; and meansoperatively connecting the aforesaid cutting means with the drivenroller, whereby circular is transformed into reciprocating motion forthe purposes set forth.

' 3. In an onion topping machine, a longitudinally ribbed revolving drumadapted to receive the onions, cutting means positioned exterior to andin proximity with the drum to engage the pendent tops of onions, means.adapted to intermittently project between spirals of the drum and pressonion tops into a pendent position and means for driving the aforesaidmechanism.

4'. In an onion topping machine, a spiral wire drum, means movingsynchronously with'the spirals and positioned to project therebetw'eento press the tops of onions to a pendent position; means for revolvingthe drum; means for synchronously actuating the means for pressing topsto pendent position through the drum spirals; cam-governed means forreciprocatlng the aforesaid means to engage between spirals of the drumv at each revolution; and means for cutting the tops from the onions asthe drum revolves.

5.- In an onion topping machine, a freely revoluble spiral wire drumhaving one or more longitudinal ribs, means for causing the drum torevolve; means adapted to project between spirals of the drum atpredetermined intervals to press onion tops into pendent position; meansoperatively connected with the drum-actuating means to operate theonion-top engaging means; cutting blade mechanism positioned exterior toand in proximity with the spiral drum to i cut the pendent tops ofonions; and means for reciprocating the aforesaid cutting mechanism.

6. In an onion topping machine, a drum, rollers revolnbly supporting thedrum, means fordriving one of the rollers, a fingerroller adapted toengage onion tops in the drum, means operatively connecting the fingerroller with the roller driving the drum 10 to synchronously revolvethose members,

means positioned in proximity to the drum to top the onions, and meansoperatively connected with the driven roller for reciproeatingonion-topping means, substantially as set forth.

EPHRAIM} BURDIOK.

Witnesses:

JANE FERGUSON, REBECOA BtmmoK.

